Opioid Panel Discussion Held In Duluth

Opioids Include Prescription Painkillers Like Oxycodone

Four out of five people with heroin addictions are first hooked on pain killers.

This was just one of the many topics discussed Friday by a panel of experts and legislators.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers like Oxycodone, codeine, and morphine. Each year, thousands of people lose their lives to drug overdoses across the nation, making it the leading cause of accidental deaths, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Jessica Martin, an addiction survivor also spoke at the panel. She says she started using Opioids at the age of 13.

Martin’s road to recovery started 2 years ago, when she became pregnant with her daughter.

Senator Klobuchar’s bill, the Comprehensive Addiction and recovery act, recently passed the senate. The bill encourages states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies in the fight against addiction.